BriX - A Deterministic Concurrent Functional X Windows System

Abstract

With the introduction of concurrent functional languages, potential
non-determinism is introduced. Two processes can update a file at the same
time, leading to an unpredictable result. This is taken for granted, there is a
common idea stating that concurrency and non-determinism are synonymous. In
their paper, Carter and Holyer propose a deterministic approach to many systems
which are inherently non-deterministic. The first steps in that direction have
been taken with the design of BriX, a deterministic concurrent windowing
system.
This report describes the development and workings of this system. Special
efforts were taken on the avoiding of non-determinism. BriX was not designed to
be a standard windowing system, the goal was to write it with deterministic
techniques.
Dr. Ian Holyer,
ian@cs.bris.ac.uk. Last modified on Friday 7 July 1995 at 10:43.